A Family Member has an Eating Disorder
If you have a family member that with an Eating Disorder, they need a lot of support. Suggest that your family member see an eating disorder expert. Be prepared for denial, resistance, and even anger. A doctor and/or a counselor can help them battle their eating disorder.
Symptoms of Anorexia?
There are many symptoms for anorexia, some individuals may not experience all of they symptoms. The symptoms include: Body weight that is inconsistent with age, build and height (usually 15% below normal weight).
Some other symptoms of anorexia are:
Loss of at least 3 consecutive menstrual periods (in women).
Not wanting or refusing to eat in public
Anxiety
Weakness
Brittle skin
Shortness of breath
Obsessiveness about calorie intake
Medical Consequences of anorexia?
There are many medical risks associated with anorexia. They include: shrunken bones, mineral loss, low body temperature, irregular heartbeat, permanent failure of normal growth, development of osteoporosis and bulimia nervosa.
Continued use of laxatives is harmful to the body. It wears out the bowel muscle and causes it to decrease in function. Some laxatives contain harsh substances that may be reabsorbed into your system.
source: http://www.mamashealth.com/anorexia.asp
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Monday, July 28, 2008
what is anorexia?
Anorexia is an eating disorder where people starve themselves. Anorexia usually begins in young people around the onset of puberty. Individuals suffering from anorexia have extreme weight loss. Weight loss is usually 15% below the person's normal body weight. People suffering from anorexia are very skinny but are convinced that they are overweight. Weight loss is obtained by many ways. Some of the common techniques used are excessive exercise, intake of laxatives and not eating.
Anorexics have an intense fear of becoming fat. Their dieting habits develop from this fear. Anorexia mainly affects adolescent girls.
People with anorexia continue to think they are overweight even after they become extremely thin, are very ill or near death. Often they will develop strange eating habits such as refusing to eat in front of other people. Sometimes the individuals will prepare big meals for others while refusing to eat any of it.
The disorder is thought to be most common among people of higher socioeconomic classes and people involved in activities where thinness is especially looked upon, such as dancing, theater, and distance running
source: http://www.mamashealth.com/anorexia.asp
Anorexics have an intense fear of becoming fat. Their dieting habits develop from this fear. Anorexia mainly affects adolescent girls.
People with anorexia continue to think they are overweight even after they become extremely thin, are very ill or near death. Often they will develop strange eating habits such as refusing to eat in front of other people. Sometimes the individuals will prepare big meals for others while refusing to eat any of it.
The disorder is thought to be most common among people of higher socioeconomic classes and people involved in activities where thinness is especially looked upon, such as dancing, theater, and distance running
source: http://www.mamashealth.com/anorexia.asp
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Slimming Electric Belts and Russian Bells - Are they Fitness Rip-Offs or Fitness Bargains?
Have you ever heard of a belt that can help you get skinny? One that claims it can get you in shape? And what about the latest fitness craze - using Russian weights to get extra-fit? Possible? Here's what we found in two of our latest investigations.
Claim: "Use your Flex Abdominal Toning Belt for just 30 minutes a day, five days a week and in just weeks, your abs could be firmer, stronger and more toned. Satisfaction Guaranteed!" There are many different Web sites all with similar claims, but, in a nutshell, the claim is that the product is FDA approved, it will tone and strengthen your abs in just weeks, and it was shown effective in a clinical study by Dr. John Porcari at University of Wisconsin - La Crosse in 2004.
Facts: The Food and Drug Administration does regulate electrical muscle stimulators; however, most of the stimulators are intended for use in physical therapy and rehab. This is what the FDA Web site says about EMS products: "The FDA has cleared many electrical muscle stimulators for prescription use in treating medical conditions. Doctors may use electrical muscle stimulators for patients who require muscle re-education, relaxation of muscle spasms, increased range of motion, prevention of muscle atrophy, and for treating other medical conditions which usually result from a stroke, a serious injury, or major surgery. Again, the effect of using these devices is primarily to help a patient recover from impaired muscle function due to a medical condition, not to increase muscle size enough to affect appearance." And yes, it is true that the Slendertone Flex has met FDA's regulatory requirements and been "cleared by FDA for toning, strengthening and firming abdominal muscles."
According to Fabio Comana, M.A., M.S., an exercise physiologist for the American Council on Exercise, "The technology transmits a repeated low-grade impulse to stimulate low-grade, repeated muscle contractions. This form of technology has been used in physical therapy for decades to treat muscle trauma. Any time a group of muscles performs more work, it should offer some benefits. If this is used on very de-conditioned individuals with weak abdominals, the muscles will be stimulated to contract and will get stronger as long as overload is applied [the muscle does more work than what it is accustomed to]."
Fiction: The following is taken directly from the FDA Web site: "Using these devices alone will not give you 'six-pack' abs. Applying electrical current to muscles may cause muscles to contract. Stimulating muscles repeatedly with electricity may eventually result in muscles that are strengthened and toned to some extent but will not, based on currently available data, create a major change in your appearance without the addition of diet and regular exercise." Also, according to the FDA, which has approved this device: "While an EMS device may be able to temporarily strengthen, tone or firm a muscle, no EMS devices have been cleared at this time for weight loss, girth reduction, or for obtaining 'rock hard' abs."
"Spot reduction is a myth, and people often confuse improved abdominal endurance and strength with getting a washboard stomach. We all have a washboard, but for most, it is covered with a layer (of varying size) of fat tissue that has to be shed in order to show the six-pack," says Comana. Additionally, Comana has several issues with the design and methodology of the only study conducted on Slendertone.
The price: About $200.
Concerns: Only one researcher is cited as having done studies on Slendertone Flex. Why are there not more studies cited, or have there been no other studies done by other researchers, asks Christina "Tina" A. Geithner, Ph.D., a professor of exercise science at Gonzaga University and spokesperson for the American College of Sports Medicine. "I'd consider this device a fad and a rip-off," says Geithner.
Comana believes that just focusing on six-pack abs is a mistake. "What about the obliques and back muscles? The reason one should strengthen the abs is to protect the spine, not to gain a six-pack. The abdominal muscles need to be strengthened in balance with the obliques and the back. We should train people to move efficiently, not train muscles in isolation," he adds.
Bottom Line: If you want to develop washboard abs, this belt will not do it for you. Try ab work, cardio and a healthy, calorie-lowering diet.
Russian Kettlebells
Claim: This cannonball with a suitcase-like handle is better than free weights for strength training, and kettlebells are the only workout you need.
Facts: Kettlebells can provide a challenging, effective workout for those who are bored with traditional free weights or simply looking for an alternative. The design of the kettlebell results in its center-of-mass being outside the grip because of the handle placement. This results in a far different - and greater - challenge than that experienced in most free-weight exercises and can provide a terrific challenge to the muscles of the forearm, shoulder and core, says Jonathan Ross, a spokesperson for the American Council on Exercise.
Kettlebells can help people strength train and get them prepared for more real-life situations. "Kettlebell exercises help with regular everyday functions such as lifting groceries, carrying a pile of magazines, gardening, throwing out the trash or lifting a child - moving irregular-size objects and controlling the momentum," says Tedd Keating, Ph.D., a professor of physical education and human performance at Manhattan College. "Kettlebells use a swinging, curvilinear pattern when performed, whereas free weights have a linear pattern. It's actually in the process of accelerating and decelerating the movement of the kettlebells that the strength and power gains are made," he adds.
A kettlebell is a compact and convenient piece of fitness equipment. Once you figure out the appropriate weight of kettlebell you need, all the exercises use that one kettlebell. So you don't need an entire set to do your strength-training program. As you get stronger, you simply do additional repetitions and increase movement speed, says Keating.
Fiction: Kettlebells will provide you with a better workout than free weights. Actually, kettlebells are simply different from free weights, not necessarily better. "It provides a different, unique challenge to your muscular system," says Keating. This is not the be-all and end-all when it comes to fitness - it's just another tool in your fitness toolbox. Keating does not recommend kettlebells as a stand-alone fitness program. There are many other components needed for an appropriate fitness regime (e.g., cardio, flexibility, etc.).
Price: $24.95 (10 pound) to $109.95 (100 pound)
by Charles Stuart Platkin
Concerns: Kettlebells can be unexpectedly heavy, and because the design adds an additional "unwieldy" component, that can be both helpful and dangerous. The kettlebells' greatest strengths are also their greatest weaknesses. "Many of the movements with the kettlebells are done rapidly - thus generating a significant need to control the momentum of the weight when accelerating and decelerating it," says Ross. Additionally, kettlebells can create an excessive challenge to the forearm muscles, putting the wrist at significantly greater risk of injury.
"The weight of the kettlebell is far outside the grip, thus dramatically increasing the torque on the wrist joint (imagine trying to swing a sledgehammer like a carpentry hammer). This property of the kettlebell - one of its most frequently stated attributes - needs to be respected and handled with care at the introduction of kettlebell training. A frequent mistake people make is to compare what it feels like to lift a 25-pound dumbbell overhead to lifting a 25-pound kettlebell. Given the different properties of the two, a far lighter kettlebell should be used," says Ross.
Bottom Line: Kettlebells can be very effective if used appropriately and very dangerous if not. "Their use should be undertaken by a competent professional well-versed in and espousing a respect for a variety of training methods and aware of the advantages and disadvantages of each," says Ross.
source: http://www.dietdetective.com/content/view/3401/3/
Claim: "Use your Flex Abdominal Toning Belt for just 30 minutes a day, five days a week and in just weeks, your abs could be firmer, stronger and more toned. Satisfaction Guaranteed!" There are many different Web sites all with similar claims, but, in a nutshell, the claim is that the product is FDA approved, it will tone and strengthen your abs in just weeks, and it was shown effective in a clinical study by Dr. John Porcari at University of Wisconsin - La Crosse in 2004.
Facts: The Food and Drug Administration does regulate electrical muscle stimulators; however, most of the stimulators are intended for use in physical therapy and rehab. This is what the FDA Web site says about EMS products: "The FDA has cleared many electrical muscle stimulators for prescription use in treating medical conditions. Doctors may use electrical muscle stimulators for patients who require muscle re-education, relaxation of muscle spasms, increased range of motion, prevention of muscle atrophy, and for treating other medical conditions which usually result from a stroke, a serious injury, or major surgery. Again, the effect of using these devices is primarily to help a patient recover from impaired muscle function due to a medical condition, not to increase muscle size enough to affect appearance." And yes, it is true that the Slendertone Flex has met FDA's regulatory requirements and been "cleared by FDA for toning, strengthening and firming abdominal muscles."
According to Fabio Comana, M.A., M.S., an exercise physiologist for the American Council on Exercise, "The technology transmits a repeated low-grade impulse to stimulate low-grade, repeated muscle contractions. This form of technology has been used in physical therapy for decades to treat muscle trauma. Any time a group of muscles performs more work, it should offer some benefits. If this is used on very de-conditioned individuals with weak abdominals, the muscles will be stimulated to contract and will get stronger as long as overload is applied [the muscle does more work than what it is accustomed to]."
Fiction: The following is taken directly from the FDA Web site: "Using these devices alone will not give you 'six-pack' abs. Applying electrical current to muscles may cause muscles to contract. Stimulating muscles repeatedly with electricity may eventually result in muscles that are strengthened and toned to some extent but will not, based on currently available data, create a major change in your appearance without the addition of diet and regular exercise." Also, according to the FDA, which has approved this device: "While an EMS device may be able to temporarily strengthen, tone or firm a muscle, no EMS devices have been cleared at this time for weight loss, girth reduction, or for obtaining 'rock hard' abs."
"Spot reduction is a myth, and people often confuse improved abdominal endurance and strength with getting a washboard stomach. We all have a washboard, but for most, it is covered with a layer (of varying size) of fat tissue that has to be shed in order to show the six-pack," says Comana. Additionally, Comana has several issues with the design and methodology of the only study conducted on Slendertone.
The price: About $200.
Concerns: Only one researcher is cited as having done studies on Slendertone Flex. Why are there not more studies cited, or have there been no other studies done by other researchers, asks Christina "Tina" A. Geithner, Ph.D., a professor of exercise science at Gonzaga University and spokesperson for the American College of Sports Medicine. "I'd consider this device a fad and a rip-off," says Geithner.
Comana believes that just focusing on six-pack abs is a mistake. "What about the obliques and back muscles? The reason one should strengthen the abs is to protect the spine, not to gain a six-pack. The abdominal muscles need to be strengthened in balance with the obliques and the back. We should train people to move efficiently, not train muscles in isolation," he adds.
Bottom Line: If you want to develop washboard abs, this belt will not do it for you. Try ab work, cardio and a healthy, calorie-lowering diet.
Russian Kettlebells
Claim: This cannonball with a suitcase-like handle is better than free weights for strength training, and kettlebells are the only workout you need.
Facts: Kettlebells can provide a challenging, effective workout for those who are bored with traditional free weights or simply looking for an alternative. The design of the kettlebell results in its center-of-mass being outside the grip because of the handle placement. This results in a far different - and greater - challenge than that experienced in most free-weight exercises and can provide a terrific challenge to the muscles of the forearm, shoulder and core, says Jonathan Ross, a spokesperson for the American Council on Exercise.
Kettlebells can help people strength train and get them prepared for more real-life situations. "Kettlebell exercises help with regular everyday functions such as lifting groceries, carrying a pile of magazines, gardening, throwing out the trash or lifting a child - moving irregular-size objects and controlling the momentum," says Tedd Keating, Ph.D., a professor of physical education and human performance at Manhattan College. "Kettlebells use a swinging, curvilinear pattern when performed, whereas free weights have a linear pattern. It's actually in the process of accelerating and decelerating the movement of the kettlebells that the strength and power gains are made," he adds.
A kettlebell is a compact and convenient piece of fitness equipment. Once you figure out the appropriate weight of kettlebell you need, all the exercises use that one kettlebell. So you don't need an entire set to do your strength-training program. As you get stronger, you simply do additional repetitions and increase movement speed, says Keating.
Fiction: Kettlebells will provide you with a better workout than free weights. Actually, kettlebells are simply different from free weights, not necessarily better. "It provides a different, unique challenge to your muscular system," says Keating. This is not the be-all and end-all when it comes to fitness - it's just another tool in your fitness toolbox. Keating does not recommend kettlebells as a stand-alone fitness program. There are many other components needed for an appropriate fitness regime (e.g., cardio, flexibility, etc.).
Price: $24.95 (10 pound) to $109.95 (100 pound)
by Charles Stuart Platkin
Concerns: Kettlebells can be unexpectedly heavy, and because the design adds an additional "unwieldy" component, that can be both helpful and dangerous. The kettlebells' greatest strengths are also their greatest weaknesses. "Many of the movements with the kettlebells are done rapidly - thus generating a significant need to control the momentum of the weight when accelerating and decelerating it," says Ross. Additionally, kettlebells can create an excessive challenge to the forearm muscles, putting the wrist at significantly greater risk of injury.
"The weight of the kettlebell is far outside the grip, thus dramatically increasing the torque on the wrist joint (imagine trying to swing a sledgehammer like a carpentry hammer). This property of the kettlebell - one of its most frequently stated attributes - needs to be respected and handled with care at the introduction of kettlebell training. A frequent mistake people make is to compare what it feels like to lift a 25-pound dumbbell overhead to lifting a 25-pound kettlebell. Given the different properties of the two, a far lighter kettlebell should be used," says Ross.
Bottom Line: Kettlebells can be very effective if used appropriately and very dangerous if not. "Their use should be undertaken by a competent professional well-versed in and espousing a respect for a variety of training methods and aware of the advantages and disadvantages of each," says Ross.
source: http://www.dietdetective.com/content/view/3401/3/
Monday, July 21, 2008
The Facts Of Women’s Health And Fitness
Health is our number one concern and at times we tend to listen and follow any and all kinds of advice in order to improve our overall health and fitness issues. The practice of following blindly other's advice on boxing workout can at times hurt us if we don't take the time to check on the information received.
Facts about Women's Health and Fitness
* A women's metabolism is generally (not always) slower than that of a man's due to which the struggle to stay slender and fit is greater in a woman most times.
* Due to a slower metabolism rate, women tend to have a poor blood circulation, which is usually manifested through cold feet and hands in all types of seasons.
* A women's hormonal balance is very different to that of a man due to which they often have huge mood swings; this usually occurs during the time one expects her monthly period.
* Due to the above facts women deal differently with stress than men often, developing eating disorders.
Easy Steps to Improve Women's Health and Fitness
* Exercise – highly recommended women exercises are those that increase body metabolism such as jogging and power walking. Increasing body metabolism one burns calories quicker and improves blood circulation as well.
* Diet – high in fiber; this helps with digestion, a problem most women face due to slow metabolism rate. Fresh fruits and vegetables are always of great help as well.
* Water and other liquids – women's health and fitness is proportional to the amount of liquids one intakes. It is advised to drink no less than 2 liters daily. Coffee and tea do not count as they contain caffeine.
Regular Check Ups
Women's health and fitness can be kept under control when regular check ups and boxing training are conducted. Do not skip a check up only because you think you feel good and therefore nothing can be wrong. Many diseases only show signs and symptoms in the late stages at which time it is harder to deal with and cure it.
A Helpful Tip
Don't take advice or follow someone else's diet or exercise or Boxing Fitness schedule unless that advice comes from a professional – women's health and fitness is very complex and unique to each and every individual woman.
Get to know and understand your body's functions and needs. Seek and follow only professional advice to obtain best results and maintain optimum health and fitness conditions at all times.
source: http://www.nmcm.org/family-health-fitness/the-facts-of-women%e2%80%99s-health-and-fitness/1430
Facts about Women's Health and Fitness
* A women's metabolism is generally (not always) slower than that of a man's due to which the struggle to stay slender and fit is greater in a woman most times.
* Due to a slower metabolism rate, women tend to have a poor blood circulation, which is usually manifested through cold feet and hands in all types of seasons.
* A women's hormonal balance is very different to that of a man due to which they often have huge mood swings; this usually occurs during the time one expects her monthly period.
* Due to the above facts women deal differently with stress than men often, developing eating disorders.
Easy Steps to Improve Women's Health and Fitness
* Exercise – highly recommended women exercises are those that increase body metabolism such as jogging and power walking. Increasing body metabolism one burns calories quicker and improves blood circulation as well.
* Diet – high in fiber; this helps with digestion, a problem most women face due to slow metabolism rate. Fresh fruits and vegetables are always of great help as well.
* Water and other liquids – women's health and fitness is proportional to the amount of liquids one intakes. It is advised to drink no less than 2 liters daily. Coffee and tea do not count as they contain caffeine.
Regular Check Ups
Women's health and fitness can be kept under control when regular check ups and boxing training are conducted. Do not skip a check up only because you think you feel good and therefore nothing can be wrong. Many diseases only show signs and symptoms in the late stages at which time it is harder to deal with and cure it.
A Helpful Tip
Don't take advice or follow someone else's diet or exercise or Boxing Fitness schedule unless that advice comes from a professional – women's health and fitness is very complex and unique to each and every individual woman.
Get to know and understand your body's functions and needs. Seek and follow only professional advice to obtain best results and maintain optimum health and fitness conditions at all times.
source: http://www.nmcm.org/family-health-fitness/the-facts-of-women%e2%80%99s-health-and-fitness/1430
Friday, July 18, 2008
Warning bells over children's phone use
By RUTH HILL
New health warnings on the dangers of children using cellphones has reignited debate on whether the devices are safe for regular use by young people.
Toronto's public health department has recommended children under eight should use a cellphone only in emergencies, and teenagers should limit calls to less than 10 minutes so as to limit exposure to electro-magnetic radiation.
The agency says research on the effects on children is "very limited" but many scientists feel they may be more susceptible to any harmful effects from radiofrequency waves. They have a smaller head and brain, thinner skull bones, skin and ears, and their brains and nerves are still developing.
Today's children have started using cellphones at a younger age, so their lifetime exposure will be greater, it says.
Toronto Public Health supervisor Loren Vanderlinden told the Toronto Star scientists were previously "pretty dismissive" of any risk but it appeared people who had been using their cellphones over time were at greater risk of certain types of brain tumours.
Similar advisory bodies in Britain and Germany recommend discouraging non-essential use of cellphones by under-16s "as a precautionary measure".
The New Zealand Health Ministry recommends people use hands-free kits, keep calls short and use phones in areas with good signal.
Some studies have suggested a possible link between very high cellphone use and brain tumours, though others show no connection.
Public opposition this year to a controversial cellphone tower proposal for Atawhai, Nelson, contributed to Telecom putting its plans on hold. The company had proposed to erect the tower next to a playcentre, prompting fears of exposure.
National Radiation Laboratory manager Jim Turnbull, who advises the Health Ministry on the issue, said yesterday the New Zealand exposure standard limits for wireless devices were designed to provide protection for all age groups.
It was possible, however, that children were more vulnerable to "subtle effects" not yet discovered, due to their more absorbent brain tissue and longer lifetime exposure.
New Zealand Cancer Society medical director Chris Atkinson said last night research on the health effects of cellphone use was inconclusive. But it was possible a link would be found between excessive use and negative health effects in the future.
It was wise to pay attention to "a sensible public health comment" from a city "as sensible" as Toronto, he said.
It was a good idea "for many reasons" for children not to overuse their cellphones.
Newlands mother Paula Wortman, whose 11-year-old daughter, Celia, has owned a cellphone for about two years, said she had not heard about possible health effects from cellphones - but she was unconcerned.
"I feel safer knowing she can get hold of us in an emergency."
source: http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/4618342a10.html
New health warnings on the dangers of children using cellphones has reignited debate on whether the devices are safe for regular use by young people.
Toronto's public health department has recommended children under eight should use a cellphone only in emergencies, and teenagers should limit calls to less than 10 minutes so as to limit exposure to electro-magnetic radiation.
The agency says research on the effects on children is "very limited" but many scientists feel they may be more susceptible to any harmful effects from radiofrequency waves. They have a smaller head and brain, thinner skull bones, skin and ears, and their brains and nerves are still developing.
Today's children have started using cellphones at a younger age, so their lifetime exposure will be greater, it says.
Toronto Public Health supervisor Loren Vanderlinden told the Toronto Star scientists were previously "pretty dismissive" of any risk but it appeared people who had been using their cellphones over time were at greater risk of certain types of brain tumours.
Similar advisory bodies in Britain and Germany recommend discouraging non-essential use of cellphones by under-16s "as a precautionary measure".
The New Zealand Health Ministry recommends people use hands-free kits, keep calls short and use phones in areas with good signal.
Some studies have suggested a possible link between very high cellphone use and brain tumours, though others show no connection.
Public opposition this year to a controversial cellphone tower proposal for Atawhai, Nelson, contributed to Telecom putting its plans on hold. The company had proposed to erect the tower next to a playcentre, prompting fears of exposure.
National Radiation Laboratory manager Jim Turnbull, who advises the Health Ministry on the issue, said yesterday the New Zealand exposure standard limits for wireless devices were designed to provide protection for all age groups.
It was possible, however, that children were more vulnerable to "subtle effects" not yet discovered, due to their more absorbent brain tissue and longer lifetime exposure.
New Zealand Cancer Society medical director Chris Atkinson said last night research on the health effects of cellphone use was inconclusive. But it was possible a link would be found between excessive use and negative health effects in the future.
It was wise to pay attention to "a sensible public health comment" from a city "as sensible" as Toronto, he said.
It was a good idea "for many reasons" for children not to overuse their cellphones.
Newlands mother Paula Wortman, whose 11-year-old daughter, Celia, has owned a cellphone for about two years, said she had not heard about possible health effects from cellphones - but she was unconcerned.
"I feel safer knowing she can get hold of us in an emergency."
source: http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/4618342a10.html
Brain food
In the July, 2008 issue of the journal Nature Reviews Neuroscience, UCLA professor of neurosurgery and physiological science Fernando Gómez-Pinilla summarizes the latest findings concerning the effects of various foods on the brain, noting that some foods have a drug-like effect. "Food is like a pharmaceutical compound that affects the brain," Dr Gómez-Pinilla stated.
"Diet, exercise and sleep have the potential to alter our brain health and mental function. This raises the exciting possibility that changes in diet are a viable strategy for enhancing cognitive abilities, protecting the brain from damage and counteracting the effects of aging."
In an analysis of over 160 studies, omega-3 fatty acids (EPA, DHA, and ALA) emerged as significant dietary compounds to enhance learning and memory, and prevent mental disorders. "Omega-3 fatty acids are essential for normal brain function,” Dr Gómez-Pinilla observed. “Dietary deficiency of omega-3 fatty acids in humans has been associated with increased risk of several mental disorders, including attention-deficit disorder, dyslexia, dementia, depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. A deficiency of omega-3 fatty acids in rodents results in impaired learning and memory."
Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids are needed for the formation of brain cell membranes, which develop connections called synapses that are important in learning. "Omega-3 fatty acids support synaptic plasticity and seem to positively affect the expression of several molecules related to learning and memory that are found on synapses," Dr Gómez-Pinilla explained.
Dr Gómez-Pinilla noted that increasing the omega-3 fatty acid levels of children’s diets improved school performance and reduced behavioral problems. Omega-3 acids combined with iron, zinc, folic acid and other vitamins have been demonstrated to improve verbal intelligence, learning and memory test scores after six months when given to children between the ages of 6 and 12.
Other research has shown that the nutritional content of one’s diet can have effects on the health, including neurological function, of one’s descendants. "Evidence indicates that what you eat can affect your grandchildren's brain molecules and synapses,” Dr Gómez-Pinilla commented. “We are trying to find the molecular basis to explain this."
He additionally observed that reducing the amount of food we eat can be beneficial. Consuming too many calories can decrease the flexibility of the brain cells’ synapses and increase free radical damage. Although the brain is very susceptible to this damage, foods such as blueberries can help counteract it.
Another important brain nutrient is the B vitamin folic acid. Insufficient folic acid has been linked with depression and cognitive impairment, and supplementation with the vitamin has been demonstrated to be helpful in the prevention of cognitive decline and dementia. Folic acid has also been shown to enhance the effects of antidepressants.
In depressed as well as schizophrenic individuals, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a signaling molecule, is reduced. Omega-3 fatty acids as well as curcumin, a compound that occurs in the spice turmeric, can help elevate BDNF in a manner similar to antidepressant or antischizophrenic drugs. "BDNF is reduced in the hippocampus, in various cortical areas and in the serum of patients with schizophrenia," Dr Gómez-Pinilla stated. "BDNF levels are reduced in the plasma of patients with major depression."
“Understanding the molecular basis of the effects of food on cognition will help us to determine how best to manipulate diet in order to increase the resistance of neurons to insults and promote mental fitness,” Dr Gómez-Pinilla concluded.
Posted by Keith
source: http://keithconnectsthedots.com/2008/07/15/brain-food-by-life-extension.aspx
"Diet, exercise and sleep have the potential to alter our brain health and mental function. This raises the exciting possibility that changes in diet are a viable strategy for enhancing cognitive abilities, protecting the brain from damage and counteracting the effects of aging."
In an analysis of over 160 studies, omega-3 fatty acids (EPA, DHA, and ALA) emerged as significant dietary compounds to enhance learning and memory, and prevent mental disorders. "Omega-3 fatty acids are essential for normal brain function,” Dr Gómez-Pinilla observed. “Dietary deficiency of omega-3 fatty acids in humans has been associated with increased risk of several mental disorders, including attention-deficit disorder, dyslexia, dementia, depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. A deficiency of omega-3 fatty acids in rodents results in impaired learning and memory."
Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids are needed for the formation of brain cell membranes, which develop connections called synapses that are important in learning. "Omega-3 fatty acids support synaptic plasticity and seem to positively affect the expression of several molecules related to learning and memory that are found on synapses," Dr Gómez-Pinilla explained.
Dr Gómez-Pinilla noted that increasing the omega-3 fatty acid levels of children’s diets improved school performance and reduced behavioral problems. Omega-3 acids combined with iron, zinc, folic acid and other vitamins have been demonstrated to improve verbal intelligence, learning and memory test scores after six months when given to children between the ages of 6 and 12.
Other research has shown that the nutritional content of one’s diet can have effects on the health, including neurological function, of one’s descendants. "Evidence indicates that what you eat can affect your grandchildren's brain molecules and synapses,” Dr Gómez-Pinilla commented. “We are trying to find the molecular basis to explain this."
He additionally observed that reducing the amount of food we eat can be beneficial. Consuming too many calories can decrease the flexibility of the brain cells’ synapses and increase free radical damage. Although the brain is very susceptible to this damage, foods such as blueberries can help counteract it.
Another important brain nutrient is the B vitamin folic acid. Insufficient folic acid has been linked with depression and cognitive impairment, and supplementation with the vitamin has been demonstrated to be helpful in the prevention of cognitive decline and dementia. Folic acid has also been shown to enhance the effects of antidepressants.
In depressed as well as schizophrenic individuals, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a signaling molecule, is reduced. Omega-3 fatty acids as well as curcumin, a compound that occurs in the spice turmeric, can help elevate BDNF in a manner similar to antidepressant or antischizophrenic drugs. "BDNF is reduced in the hippocampus, in various cortical areas and in the serum of patients with schizophrenia," Dr Gómez-Pinilla stated. "BDNF levels are reduced in the plasma of patients with major depression."
“Understanding the molecular basis of the effects of food on cognition will help us to determine how best to manipulate diet in order to increase the resistance of neurons to insults and promote mental fitness,” Dr Gómez-Pinilla concluded.
Posted by Keith
source: http://keithconnectsthedots.com/2008/07/15/brain-food-by-life-extension.aspx
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
A New Approach to Eating Disorders
By Jessica Ullian
Eating disorders have long been present in the college-age population — anorexia affects an estimated .5 percent of adolescent females and bulimia between 1 and 5 percent. A 2003 American Academy of Pediatrics study found an increasingly “unhealthy emphasis on diet and weight loss among children and adolescents” in the previous decade. Students studying nutrition at BU say some of their peers seem overly concerned about eating and food, which can stem from things ranging from anxiety about leaving home for the first time to the prevalence of eating as a social activity at college.
“College can be an amazing environment, and an amazingly stressful environment,” says Melissa Stone (CAS’08), the founder of Helping Hands, an eating-disorders resource and education group for students. “Eating disorders are definitely common in high school, too, but there’s a much bigger support system there. At college, it’s really easy to lose structure.”
This year, Helping Hands collaborated with Sargent College and other organizations on campus to help make students more aware of the resources available for people affected by eating disorders and to encourage them to seek help. Helping Hands volunteers were in the George Sherman Union during the last week of February with information about anorexia and bulimia, and they sold eating-disorder-awareness bracelets to help raise funds for the National Eating Disorders Association. On February 27, at 7 p.m. students were invited to join a nutritionist, a psychologist, a bulimia specialist, and a student recovering from an eating disorder for a panel discussion in the Photonics Center. The event was cosponsored by Sargent College and BU’s Nutrition Club.
The purpose of thyese activities, Stone says, was to let students know about the resources on campus, which include evaluations at Student Health Services (SHS), nutrition counseling through Sargent College, and treatment programs through BU’s Center for Anxiety and Related Disorders. But the event’s organizers also hoped that more discussion would destigmatize eating disorders and highlight the real challenges that people suffering from anorexia and bulimia face.
“A lot of people don’t understand — you know, asking, why don’t you just eat?” Stone says. “They don’t understand that it’s a disease like any other.”
The University is taking more proactive steps to identify and treat students with eating and exercise disorders, particularly since the Fitness and Recreation Center opened in April 2005. Previously, students given to frequent or obsessive exercise often worked out off campus, says Warin Dexter, executive director of the Department of Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance. When the Commonwealth Avenue center opened, FitRec staffers suddenly became aware that there were students who spent hours every day working out on the cardio machines. “These kids come with these issues,” says Dexter. “But this has become so much more pronounced now. We’ve had some real serious cases here at the University.”
In the past three years, he estimates, four or five students have had their FitRec privileges suspended or revoked because of concerns about their health. Since then, FitRec has started collaborating with Sargent, Student Health Services, the University Service Center, and the athletics department to establish policy guidelines for identifying and treating students with eating disorders — a process involving identification by FitRec staff, evaluations from SHS, and then a range of treatment options, including nutritional counseling and monitored workouts.
The primary difficulty lies in the nature of disordered eating, according to Rosemary Pomponio, an SHS staff physician. “It is considered to be a major psychological disorder,” says Pomponio, who sees approximately 10 students in the clinic each year and is certain that there are many more undiagnosed cases on campus. “Often, students don’t respond to our concerns about their health,” she says, “because they don’t think they have a health problem. They’re unaware of how they look and what they’re doing to their own bodies. It’s very frustrating for a medical professional.” Universities also have a special set of obstacles, since most students are adults by law and are not obligated to obtain their medical care through Student Health Services. “You can’t force somebody to come in for treatment unless they are so obviously ill that the dean’s office will step in and exert academic pressure,” Pomponio notes.
The collaboration among subsets of BU’s student affairs divisions is intended to offset these obstacles. By keeping open lines of communication with staffers who work with students in all facets of their lives — in the classroom, in the gym, in the dorms, and in the dining halls — they’re able to better assess how severe a student’s health needs are and to figure out the best course of action when outside help becomes critical. “We don’t want anybody to fall through the cracks because everybody wasn’t as aware as they could be,” says Denise Mooney, the director of the University Service Center.
In addition, new efforts are under way to help students educate themselves about eating right — and to steer them away from fad diets and unhealthy habits. Sargent College’s nutrition classes, offered at FitRec since 2005, expanded last fall to include free nutritional assessment services to any interested student, with an additional series of free strategy sessions for those judged to be in the initial stages of risky behavior. “Sometimes if a student has progressed too far, you can’t reach them,” says Stacey Zawacki, the director of Sargent’s Nutrition and Fitness Center. “We have been able to work with students before they get to that point.”
source: http://www.bu.edu/today/2008/07/10/be-well-bu-new-approach-eating-disorders
Eating disorders have long been present in the college-age population — anorexia affects an estimated .5 percent of adolescent females and bulimia between 1 and 5 percent. A 2003 American Academy of Pediatrics study found an increasingly “unhealthy emphasis on diet and weight loss among children and adolescents” in the previous decade. Students studying nutrition at BU say some of their peers seem overly concerned about eating and food, which can stem from things ranging from anxiety about leaving home for the first time to the prevalence of eating as a social activity at college.
“College can be an amazing environment, and an amazingly stressful environment,” says Melissa Stone (CAS’08), the founder of Helping Hands, an eating-disorders resource and education group for students. “Eating disorders are definitely common in high school, too, but there’s a much bigger support system there. At college, it’s really easy to lose structure.”
This year, Helping Hands collaborated with Sargent College and other organizations on campus to help make students more aware of the resources available for people affected by eating disorders and to encourage them to seek help. Helping Hands volunteers were in the George Sherman Union during the last week of February with information about anorexia and bulimia, and they sold eating-disorder-awareness bracelets to help raise funds for the National Eating Disorders Association. On February 27, at 7 p.m. students were invited to join a nutritionist, a psychologist, a bulimia specialist, and a student recovering from an eating disorder for a panel discussion in the Photonics Center. The event was cosponsored by Sargent College and BU’s Nutrition Club.
The purpose of thyese activities, Stone says, was to let students know about the resources on campus, which include evaluations at Student Health Services (SHS), nutrition counseling through Sargent College, and treatment programs through BU’s Center for Anxiety and Related Disorders. But the event’s organizers also hoped that more discussion would destigmatize eating disorders and highlight the real challenges that people suffering from anorexia and bulimia face.
“A lot of people don’t understand — you know, asking, why don’t you just eat?” Stone says. “They don’t understand that it’s a disease like any other.”
The University is taking more proactive steps to identify and treat students with eating and exercise disorders, particularly since the Fitness and Recreation Center opened in April 2005. Previously, students given to frequent or obsessive exercise often worked out off campus, says Warin Dexter, executive director of the Department of Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance. When the Commonwealth Avenue center opened, FitRec staffers suddenly became aware that there were students who spent hours every day working out on the cardio machines. “These kids come with these issues,” says Dexter. “But this has become so much more pronounced now. We’ve had some real serious cases here at the University.”
In the past three years, he estimates, four or five students have had their FitRec privileges suspended or revoked because of concerns about their health. Since then, FitRec has started collaborating with Sargent, Student Health Services, the University Service Center, and the athletics department to establish policy guidelines for identifying and treating students with eating disorders — a process involving identification by FitRec staff, evaluations from SHS, and then a range of treatment options, including nutritional counseling and monitored workouts.
The primary difficulty lies in the nature of disordered eating, according to Rosemary Pomponio, an SHS staff physician. “It is considered to be a major psychological disorder,” says Pomponio, who sees approximately 10 students in the clinic each year and is certain that there are many more undiagnosed cases on campus. “Often, students don’t respond to our concerns about their health,” she says, “because they don’t think they have a health problem. They’re unaware of how they look and what they’re doing to their own bodies. It’s very frustrating for a medical professional.” Universities also have a special set of obstacles, since most students are adults by law and are not obligated to obtain their medical care through Student Health Services. “You can’t force somebody to come in for treatment unless they are so obviously ill that the dean’s office will step in and exert academic pressure,” Pomponio notes.
The collaboration among subsets of BU’s student affairs divisions is intended to offset these obstacles. By keeping open lines of communication with staffers who work with students in all facets of their lives — in the classroom, in the gym, in the dorms, and in the dining halls — they’re able to better assess how severe a student’s health needs are and to figure out the best course of action when outside help becomes critical. “We don’t want anybody to fall through the cracks because everybody wasn’t as aware as they could be,” says Denise Mooney, the director of the University Service Center.
In addition, new efforts are under way to help students educate themselves about eating right — and to steer them away from fad diets and unhealthy habits. Sargent College’s nutrition classes, offered at FitRec since 2005, expanded last fall to include free nutritional assessment services to any interested student, with an additional series of free strategy sessions for those judged to be in the initial stages of risky behavior. “Sometimes if a student has progressed too far, you can’t reach them,” says Stacey Zawacki, the director of Sargent’s Nutrition and Fitness Center. “We have been able to work with students before they get to that point.”
source: http://www.bu.edu/today/2008/07/10/be-well-bu-new-approach-eating-disorders
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